


The Wanted Detective Agency

by rainidaze13



Category: One Direction (Band), The Wanted (Band)
Genre: AU, F/M, Louis and Tom are bartenders, M/M, Max is a PI with his friend, Nath is a cop, Random - Freeform, Sorry first fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:56:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainidaze13/pseuds/rainidaze13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max and Maggie were best friends and Private Detectives. Together, they discover why Liam, Harry, and Jay have disappeared, along with the help of Louis and Tom. Siva, Niall, and Zayn also make appearances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this is really random. Don't hate me. I don't know where this came from. But here it is... The facts might not be spot on, but I'm trying. Sorry!

It was a usual Saturday night for Harry. He’d go the bar, and just chat it up with people, have a good time. Sometimes he got a date. Sometimes he didn’t. Either was good for him. Today, however, it looked like he was gonna get a lady to go home with. She was tall, with long dark hair. Her dress was low cut, and accented her figure. She’d been playing with him all night, and with Louis and Tom’s blessings, he took the dive.   
“Wanna get outta here?” He leaned in close to her ear.   
Her eyes flashed dangerously as she nodded. He let her grab his hand, pulling him through the crowd. He caught Tom giving him thumbs up from behind the bar, and he grinned. Soon, they were outside in the chilly night air.   
“Let me just call a cab. We’ll be back at my place in no time.”  
“No, we can just go to my place. It’s not too far from here. We can walk.” Harry thought about arguing, but her coy smile and flirty eyes changed his mind.   
He let her continue leading him, the alcohol leaving his mind in a mildly buzzed state. He didn’t think much of where she was going, or what he should have noticed. But it was too late. Before he could even register a change, he felt something hard make contact with the side of his head.


	2. Chapter 1: The Case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I repeat, I don't know where this came from... I'm weird, and I'm sorry. We get to see more of the case though, so that's nice I guess. Thoughts?

Max and Maggie. They could be lovers, siblings, cousins, twins… But no, they were partners, roomies, and best friends. Maggie Carter and Max George, of The Wanted detective agency. In working order for 4 years now, the two were still as close as they had been when it opened.   
The phone rang, the loud noise penetrating the silence in their shared home. Max grunted, glaring at his clock that read just after midnight, and called to his partner. “Maggie, it’s your turn!”  
Another groan came from across the hall, and he could hear her shuffling from her bedroom to the phone in the hall.   
“Hello?”  
“My name is Anne Cox. Is this the detective agency?”  
“The Wanted Detective Agency at your service, ma’am.”  
“I have a case that I was hoping you would be willing to take on.”  
Maggie pulled out the notebook they kept in the drawer out, as well as a pen. “Yes?”   
“You see… My son has been gone for a few days. And I just don’t feel like the police are doing all they can for my baby.”  
“How old is your son?”  
“21.”  
Maggie sighed inwardly. He was a young adult with new found freedoms. No wonder the cops weren’t taking it too seriously. “Look, Ma’am. I would like you to wait out the night. If your son hasn’t contacted you by 11 tomorrow morning, I would like you to call us again.”  
She exchanged a few more words with the woman before hanging up. She wandered into the kitchen, putting a pot of water on the stove. Max came out a few moments after that.   
“Who called?”  
“A woman who says her son is missing. He’s 21, so I told her to wait till the morning, and if he still hasn’t shown up, to call back.”  
Max nodded, as the whistle blew and their tea was done. They drank in a comfortable silence, before both parties went back to their bedrooms. Ready to sleep again. It wasn’t until exactly 11 the next morning did either of them bother to move again, thanks to the phone.  
Max stumbled to the phone. “The Wanted detective agency.”  
“Hi, I called yesterday. The woman who answered told me to call again in the morning if my son hasn’t shown up…”  
“Yes, that was my partner. How can I help you?”  
“Well, Harry still hasn’t come home, and the police don’t take me seriously. So I was hoping you and your partner would look into it.”  
“Yes, well… We’ll need more details before we decide anything. May we come over?”  
The woman prattled off an address, and Max continually assured her that they would be there by noon. He then went to wake Maggie up.   
“C’mon, you slacker, we have a case. Get dressed.” He flipped on her light, though the room was already light from the midmorning sunshine.  
“Do I have to?” The girl groaned, burying her head in a pillow.  
“Yes. We’re meeting the mom you talked to yesterday about her son.”  
He left her room to get dressed himself, finding an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt while pairing it with a sports coat. Maggie was waiting for him in the living room, clearly having given up on looking nice, her hair pulled into a sloppy bun, and wore an outfit similar to Max’s.   
“Where are we headed, partner?” She asked waggling her eyebrows.   
The two set off, Maggie driving as Max directed her where to go. Before too long, they were parked in front of a home that looked more like a mansion to either of them. They exchanged a look of weariness, before ringing the doorbell. They heard feet shuffling from behind the door, and it was pulled open by a woman in a sundress. She gave them a once over.   
“Ms. Cox, I presume?”  
“You must be the detectives. Come on in!” She ushered them through the door and into a plush living area. “Can I offer you anything to drink? Tea, water, coffee?”  
“Water, thanks.” They said in unison and she nodded, bringing back water bottles for each of them.   
Maggie waited for the woman to settle herself in before starting her questioning. “Now Ms. Cox…”  
“Please just call me Anne.”  
“Anne. I’m Maggie Carter, and this is Max George. Would you like to give us a few more details on your son’s disappearance?”   
“Well, last I heard from Harry was Saturday. It was about 6 in the evening, and he’d mentioned going to the bar with a few friends, a usual thing for him. I told him to be safe, and he promised he would. Then I stopped by his apartment on Sunday, yesterday to drop off a few things, and he wasn’t home. I let myself in with my key, and left a note and tried calling in the evening. Nothing. That’s why I called last night.”  
“Have you tried stopping by again?” Max queried.   
“Of course I have. Why I went over just this morning. And it’s clear that no one had been there since I stopped by. And I’ve rang his phone many times. Always straight to voicemail.”  
Max and Maggie exchanged glances. “Is it possible that he’s just with friends? He is a young man…”  
“I’ve rang all his friends too. None have seen or heard from him either. I just KNOW something has happened.” The woman seemed perilously close to tears.   
“You and your son seem close.” Maggie spoke to break the tension.   
“Oh, we are. We’re a very close knit family. For the longest time, it was only him, his sister, and I. Gemma is just as worried about him as I am.”  
“Gemma, that’s you daughter?”  
“Yes. She’s older than Harry, but they were always close. She’s actually coming by today…” The front door burst open and a woman in her mid-twenties burst in.   
“Mom! I’m… Oh. We have guests.”  
“Gemma, these are the Detectives. Maggie Carter and Max George, I believe.”   
“You don’t look old enough to be detectives… You can’t be much older than my brother.”  
“We’ve been working as detectives for almost 5 years.” It wasn’t a lie, but Maggie didn’t feel the need to point out that they were only 23, a mere two years older than Harry.  
Gemma sat next to her mother, and Maggie and Max excused themselves to the kitchen for a quick discussion where they came to the agreement that they’d interview the women separately.  
“Anne? Max and I decided it would cover more ground if we could interview you and your daughter separately. If you would stay with me in the living room, Max would like to see Gemma in the kitchen.”  
The pair split up, and Maggie once again sat opposite the distressed mother while Max sat with the sister.   
“Gemma, would you like to tell me more about your relationship with your brother?”  
“Harry and I were close. We grew up without our dad around so we depended more on each other, and our mother.”  
“It seems that you all have done pretty well for yourselves.” He gestured to the large house.   
“Mom got married to our step dad about 2 years back. He’s a business man.” Her eyes looked bored.   
“Where is he now? Your step dad, I mean?”  
“Business trip. He left last Wednesday, and won’t be back until Friday.”  
“Interesting.” Max jotted a few notes down in his notebook. “Does Harry get along with your step father?”  
“Are you insinuating something, Mr. George?”  
“Is there something to be insinuated? And I prefer Max.”  
“Yes, Harry and Robin get along very well. They’re close, as if they really were father and son.”  
“But you don’t like him?”  
“What makes you say that, Max?” She put an emphasis on his name.  
“The way you talk about him. Body language.”  
“It’s just hard to accept another person into the family after so long. I’m not like Harry. He gets along with everyone, trusts everyone in a heartbeat.”  
“Do you think that could have gotten him into trouble? Wearing his heart on his sleeve?”  
“It wouldn’t be the first time. So, do you think that something HAS happened to my brother?” She met his eyes, daring him to lie to her.   
“Time will tell. Do YOU think something has happened to him?” He held her gaze.   
“I can tell something isn’t right. I feel it, in my gut.”  
Max nodded, shutting his notebook. “That’s all I have for now. If you have any more information, feel free to call me or Maggie.” He handed her a business card, standing.   
They made their way back into the living room, where Maggie was shaking Anne’s hand, and assuring the woman that they’d do everything they could for Harry. The detectives got into their car, driving to a small café not far from the house to discuss their findings.   
“So the sister thinks something has happened to him.”  
“Just like the mom.” Maggie nodded, stirring her soda. “Anne was able to give me the address of the bar that Harry usually frequents. I say we stop by later and see if we can ask around.”  
“Do you really think something has happened to the kid?”   
“I don’t know, but the family seems genuinely concerned. The least we can do is look into it and ask around.”  
They ate the rest of their lunch in comparative silence, occasionally spewing thoughts on the case, though they both knew there wasn’t much they could do until they went to check out the bar.


	3. Chapter 2: Last Seen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fun... we meet Tom and Lou this round! Sorry, the story is weird...

The pair had opted to go to the bar at a later hour, in hopes of catching the bartenders who had worked on Saturday. The waitress pointed them to a guy who looked about their age with fluffy brown hair and bright blue eyes.   
“Welcome the Directioner bar, how can I help the lovely couple this evening?” He smiled at both of them, though he gave flirty eyes to Max.  
Maggie pulled out her business card, handing it to him. “We’re detectives. We understand that you were working Saturday night?”  
The man nodded slowly. “Tom, Eleanor, and I.”  
“Do Tom and Eleanor work tonight?”  
“Eleanor owns the place, so she’s probably back in her office. Tom should be here any moment.”  
Max and Maggie nodded. “Would you go get Eleanor for us, and alert us when Tom gets here? We have a few questions for you three.”  
The man gave them a quick nod, making his way down a back hallway, presumably to the office of Eleanor. He came back, a woman in tow. She looked like she was only in her late 20’s, but had an air of elegance and power.  
“Hello. Louis said you two were detectives. How can I help you?” She offered them a poised smile.   
“We’re investigating the disappearance of one of your customers. They were supposed to be here on Saturday. We were hoping to speak with whoever was working that night.”  
The woman nodded, turning to the bar, where a new bartender had just started his shift. “Tom, c’mere, would you?”  
The guy made his way over, looking confusedly at his boss, but she gave him a reassuring look. “Tom, these are detectives…”  
“I didn’t do it!”  
“… That are investigating the disappearance of… Who did you say it was you were looking for?”  
“We didn’t. Can we discuss this in a more private setting?”  
The woman led, her two bartenders and the detectives in tow, to a small office. The group settled themselves in, and Maggie began.   
“We were hired by a concerned mother who hasn’t heard from her son since Saturday, when he said he’d be heading to this bar,” The trio nodded. “Do any of you recognize this man?” She pulled out the picture Anne had given her of the smiling man, green eyes shining, dimples on full display.  
“Oy, that’s Harry!” Louis said in shock.   
“So you recognize him?” Max asked.   
“Course we recognize him. He’s a regular here! He was here Saturday, like him mom said. He left with some dark haired dame.” Tom said.   
Louis rolled his eyes. “You make him seem so classless. He’d been chatting her up all night, and they left to get to know each other better.”  
“If you know what I mean.” Tom waggled his eyebrows.  
Louis whacked him on the arm, and glared. Tom stuck his tongue out at him, before Eleanor stepped between them.   
“Boys. Calm yourselves.” She turned back to the detectives. “So Harry was last seen here?”  
“That’s what it seems. I’m guessing you haven’t had any police come do a checkup with you, since Harry is 21, and there is no reason to suspect foul play…”  
The trio nodded, Tom and Louis exchanging wide eyed glances. “But do you think something has happened to him?”  
“We have nothing to prove it either way. But we’d appreciate it if you’d tell us about Saturday, starting from when Harry arrived, to when he left.”  
Louis began the tale. “Well, it was a fairly usual Saturday. We had a few of our regulars here, and Harry mingled with them for a bit, but for the first hour or so, he stayed by the bar, watching as Tom continually insulted me…”  
“I did not. You threw as many insults at me as I did at you!” Tom threw out, as Louis stuck his tongue out.  
“And that’s when the girl showed up. Pretty, with long dark hair. As soon as Harry spotted her, he went to talk. Even bought her a few drinks. She holds her beer well.”  
“After another hour of chatting, Harry made eye contact with us at the bar to see if we approved. Course we gave him the thumbs up, our seal of approval, and he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. The two of ‘em left after that.” Tom finished the story.  
“What time do you think it was that the two left?” Maggie asked as Max took notes.   
“I’d say around 1 in the morning, because it was as I was headed back into my office, and I watched the two walk off.” Eleanor said thoughtfully.   
“So you hadn’t seen the girl before Saturday?” They all shook their heads.  
“Huh. Thank you for your time. If you remember anything else, here’s our card.” Maggie handed Eleanor and Tom cards as Louis held up the one she gave him earlier, and the two stood to leave.  
“Well, that’s great. A strange girl that no one has seen before catches his eye, and the two go off on their merry way.”  
Max and Maggie had just left the bar, and were walking to their car. It was a peaceful evening for a Monday, but their thoughts were anything but restful. A missing person wasn’t usually the kind of case they took on. Divorce work mostly, with all the women hitting on Max. A missing person’s case, though. It didn’t help that the police weren’t treating it like one, but Max and Maggie had a sinking suspicion that there was more to this case than meets the eye.


	4. Chapter 3: More Victims?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? More victims? Oh the horror... Who are they? What happened?

“Max, take a look at this.” Maggie called from their living room, her laptop open.  
“What’s up?” He asked, popping his head up behind hers, looking at the screen where Maggie had a recent police report open. Clearly she had been contacting their friend in the department, Nathan.  
Sure enough, she spoke, “Look at what Nathan sent me. Another missing man, 22. A bar just outside of town, but still in the police jurisdiction. And this one. 21. Bar in the opposite direction but just outside of jurisdiction.”  
“Now that’s peculiar. 3 guys go missing from bars not too far from each other. Any similarities between the guys? Names?”  
“This one, the 22 year old, Jay McGuiness went missing about a week ago in a bar just to the north of here. The 21 year old, Liam Payne, went missing about 3 days after Jay, and then about 3 days after that, Harry went missing.” Maggie turned to look at Max.  
“Think it’s a pattern?” He raised an eyebrow at her.   
“If it’s not, I’m a monkey’s uncle.”  
“Well, if it is, that’d mean that we’re gonna have another missing person tomorrow night. I’m gonna take a guess in a bar. If we put each of the bars on a map, what would your likely guess be for where the next guy would be taken?”   
Maggie pulled up a map with each of the bars, each places in opposite directions of each other. Jay went missing in a bar to the North of town, Liam to the East, and Harry to the South. They did a quick scan of bars to the west of the center of town, coming up with two likely places.   
“Alright, we split up; each of us headed to a different bar, and checks them out? Look for any dark haired women hitting on guys our age?” Maggie asked.  
“Yeah, cause there won’t be a lot of those. I don’t know. I really don’t like the idea of splitting up.”  
Before Maggie could respond, her phone lit up with an incoming call. “Hello? Yes this is her… Do you?... Did she… That is strange and I am glad you called. Actually Louis, you and Harry were mates right? Then you and Tom may be able to help Max and I out a little bit more. How’d you two like to go bar hopping tomorrow night? Great, it’s settled.”  
Max raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. “This way we can cover both bars and each of us will have someone who knows what the girl looks like.”  
“I like the way you think.” Max spoke before his eyes lit up at his phone and he held it up to his ear. “Zaynie! Love you too!”  
Maggie rolled her eyes at Max. He gave off such a tough appearance, but when it came to his boyfriend… Zayn Malik and Max George seemed like an unlikely couple with their tough persona’s but together, they were like giddy school girls. Maggie could only blame herself though, since she’d introduced them, and it wasn’t like she had to deal with their gushy romance too often since Zayn traveled a lot for work. Whenever he had a chance, he’d try to set her up on a date with his best mate, Niall. She thought he was cute but… she wasn’t sure how ready either of them were for a serious relationship especially when her heart seemed to be with another man.   
“Maggie, Z wants to talk with you.” Max handed over the phone.  
“Hey Zayn.”  
“Hey Mags, what have you two been up to? Is Maxie giving you trouble?”  
“Only as much as he has since we were middle schoolers.”  
“That’s good. So Nialler and I will be in town about a month and a half from now, and we were wondering if you were up to a double date…”  
Maggie pulled a face at Max. “Tell you what, if the case we’re on is solved by then, I’ll go. If not…”  
“Ugh… knowing you, you’ll just take as long as possible so you don’t have to do it… Nialler really likes you. I can tell.”  
“Whatever, Z. I’m sticking to my rules.”  
“Fine! Give my pooky the phone back!”  
Maggie rolled her eyes, tossing the phone back to Max. “Don’t stay up too late. We have to go clubbing tomorrow without your boytoy.” She spoke just loud enough for Zayn to overhear, and laughed at Max’s offended expression.


	5. Chapter 4: Lou is a flirt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, HAI, look, there's Siva! And Lou goes on and flirts with him. I blame the cheekbones. No one can resist cheekbones.

“So I’m going with Tom to the White Eskimo bar, yeah?” Max asked, watching Maggie adjust her jacket.   
“Yup. And I’m going with Louis to the X-Factor bar.”  
“Shouldn’t we have left yet? Louis and Tom are waiting for us at the Directioner…”  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” She looked up at him, heading for the door.   
The boys were waiting for them, and Max got out of the car, only to get into Tom’s as Louis took Max’s spot.   
“How’d you get the car?” He smirked at her.   
“Rock, Paper, Scissors.”   
He burst into laughter, seeming at ease with the whole thing. “Are you serious? You played Rock, Paper, Scissors for the car?”  
She shrugged, not looking away from the road. “It’s not the first time.”  
They drove in relative silence besides Louis playing with the dial on the radio, claiming almost every song was his favorite. By the time they reached the bar, it was about 7 in the evening, and though the bar wasn’t packed, it seemed to be well managed. A guy with high cheekbones and a nice smile greeted them from behind the bar.   
“Hey guys, welcome to the X-Factor! I’m Siva. Haven’t seen you here before.”  
“Hello, hot stuff, I’m Louis and this is Maggie.” Louis winked at the bartender, while Maggie widened her eyes.   
“Ohmigod, Louis you can’t just…” But to their surprise, Siva smiled and laughed.  
“Sorry, I’m taken. Been with my lady love for five years now. So what can I get you two?” The smile never faltered.   
“Coke.” Maggie said, earning her a look from both men.   
“… Beer.” Louis ordered, shaking his head.   
Siva got their drinks ready, and the two sat down, Maggie surveying the crowd, looking for the girl. Louis was drinking, chattering aimlessly.   
“Would you keep your eyes peeled for her? This could be our only lead.”   
“I am watching for her!”  
“You’re drinking.”  
“I can do both.”   
They sat in silence for a bit, before Maggie attempted conversation. “So are you and Tom a thing?”  
Louis nearly did a spit take, beer dribbling down his chin. “WHAT?!”  
“Well, it was obvious that you two had a liking for each other. So I just thought that maybe you were… an item.” She shrugged.   
“You think Tom likes me?” Louis was looking down at his half empty beer before pulling it up for a swig.  
“Uh, yeah. The way you two chattered… the light teasing… The unresolved sexual tension…”   
He spit his drink out at her, coating her in the backwashed substance. “THERE IS NO UNRESOLVED SEXUAL TENSION.”  
Maggie dabbed at her face with a napkin, rolling her eyes at him. “Whatever you say. Or spray.”  
“That was deserved. You can’t just say things like that.” He huffed at her, pouting slightly as he leaned back in his chair.   
The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down or blink for that matter. A solid minute passed before they both burst into a fit of giggles. Just enjoying the company, they sat in comfortable silence, Maggie watched Siva serve customers happily, while Louis seemed to stare off into space.   
“He is cute, you know.” Louis spoke it softly.   
“Hm?” Maggie looked back at him.   
“Tom. He’s… cute.”   
She smirked at him. “I knew you liked him.”   
“Shut up.” He looked miserably at his drink.  
“I think he likes you back. Maybe I’m crazy, but the vibe I got was mutual between you two. Ask him out. What’s the worst that could happen?”  
“He could hear me?”  
She patted his arm sympathetically. She noted that the bar had actually slowed down, which was odd, though it may have been because it was a Tuesday, and the bar seemed less club like, and more like a place to just relax. Siva met her eye and smiled, before turning to the other bartender on duty, and whispering something. Then he made his way over.   
“Hi.” He smiled warmly, and Louis immediately brightened.   
“Hi yourself.”  
“Hello, Siva.” Maggie smiled apologetically at him.   
“Maggie and Louis, wasn’t it? What brings you two here?”  
Maggie thought the question over, exchanging a glance with Louis before nodding. “Well, you see, I’m a PI. And I’ve been investigating the disappearance of a few local young men with my partner.” Siva looked pointedly at Louis. “No, not Lou. He’s a friend who volunteered to help me out.”  
Siva nodded slowly. “What’s that got to do with the X-Factor?”  
“They’ve been disappearing from bars… We’ve been looking out for the woman our most recent victim was seen with…” Maggie reached into her bag, pulling the photos of the boys. “Have you seen any of these guys?”  
Siva looked them over carefully. “I don’t believe so. We usually get only our regulars here, which is why I was shocked to see you two here. I’d definitely remember a stranger.”  
Maggie nodded, and Louis batted his eyelashes. “Well, if you see or hear anything, give us a call, will you?” She handed over her business card, but Louis snatched it, scribbling something onto it, then giving it back. He winked at him, and Maggie shook her head.   
She looked like she was going to say something when her phone started ringing. She glanced down at it, before putting it up to her ear, her face changed from calm to a look of shock.  
“Louis, we need to go. Now.”


	6. Chapter 5: A Dangerous Game

“That’s her!” Tom said, nearly knocking his beer off the table.

“You sure?” Max asked, looking in the direction Tom pointed. 

“Absolutely, mate. How could you forget a dame like her?” His words were mildly slurred, so Max was having a hard time believing him, but it was the best they had.  
The woman Tom pointed to had stick straight, long, dark hair, her curves accented by tight clothing. She was smiling in a flirty manner, making eye contact with Max and winking, before continuing through the bar. Max hopped down, making to follow her. 

“What’re you doin?” Tom queried confusedly. 

“Getting a date tonight. Call Maggie and Louis and tell them what’s going on.” With that, Max was gone, leaving Tom to alert the others. 

The bar was more like a club, definitely more of a place for younger singles of town to mingle. Max knew that Zayn would be pissed if he found out that he was flirting with a woman, even if it were for a case, but it was necessary. So he made his way through the club, watching for the dark haired woman, hoping she hadn’t already found someone else. But it was she who found him. 

“Hey, cutie. Wanna dance?” She winked at him again, grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the dance floor. 

They danced around to the music though Max was a bit rusty. He didn’t do a lot of club dancing when Zayn wasn’t around. The girl didn’t seem to mind though, from the flirty smile and giggles. After a while though, they got tired, and Max offered to buy them a few drinks, watching for Tom. He found the other man watching them wearily, but made no move to join him. Max brought her back the drink. 

“Thanks.” She grinned at him. “So what’s your name, hun?”

“Max. And you, pretty thing?” He mentally slapped himself. He wasn’t good with flirting. 

“Valerie.” She downed the rest of her drink. 

Max nodded, not sure how to respond from there. Lucky for him, she broke the silence. “You wanna get out of here? I can show you a good time…” She winked again.   
She tugged on his hand, and Max shot a look in Tom’s general direction, hoping to catch his eye, but he didn't see him anywhere. They passed through the front door, when Max spotted a couple of familiar faces. Maggie and Louis were on their way in. He caught Maggie’s eye, before dropping toward his shoes. Maggie, in response, pulled Louis off to the side, pulling his face to her own. 

“Wait, Valerie, my shoe is untied.” He put special enunciation on her name, knowing Maggie would catch it. 

The girl turned around, shooting him a slightly annoyed look. He quickly fiddled with his shoe lace, retying it, and stood, letting her take his hand again, the two leaving as Maggie pushed Louis away, watching the pairs retreating figure. 

“What the hell? Maggie, I think I’ve made it clear that I don’t swing that way…” Louis slurred at her. 

She rolled her eyes. For someone who worked at a bar, he didn't hold his alcohol well. “I know, Louis. But that was Max, and he was with a suspect. We had to look inconspicuous. Now go find Tom. I’m gonna follow Max. Don’t get into too much trouble.”

“Tom! Tommy! Yeah!!!” She watched as he stumbled his way into the building, before turning to the fleeting backs of her targets.

Maggie slipped out of her heels, afraid that the clicking would alert the couple, and started forward, keeping a safe distance away from them. She had to be close enough to watch them, but far enough away to not get caught. She watched them carefully, noting that Max seemed tipsier than the girl. Had she put something in his drink, or had he been a bit overzealous in alcohol consumption? She could hear the girl laugh at something Max had said, and attempted to get closer so she might catch part of the conversation. She was almost close enough to make out words when her phone started ringing. 

Am I better off dead? Am I better off a quitter? “Oh shi…” Maggie slid down an alleyway just before the couple turned around, hiding behind a dumpster. She waited a full minute, then another to see if someone were going to spot her. Nothing. She crept out, peeking around the corner of the alley just in time to see a van pull away from the curb, the couple nowhere in sight. 

“Oh shiiiit.” Max just got kidnapped. Right. This case just kept getting better and better.

Her phone started buzzing again. She looked at the number. Zayn. She hit ignore, not in the mood to explain what just happened. Instead she hit speed dial for her second most called number, after Max. 

“Hey, Nathan… Can you do me a favor?” 

“What kinda favor?” 

“I need you to look up a license plate and more specifically the person who owns it.”

“Can I inquire as to why?” He made a show of sounding disgruntled. 

“Long story short, Max and I were on a case and now Max is in the van with the plate I need you to look up.”

There was a grunt on the other side of the phone, and Maggie half smiled, knowing the man was searching.   
“Collin Grant. 26.” He prattled off an address. “He shares his house with his sister.”

Maggie frowned. “Does his sister have a name, Nathan?”

“Valerie Grant.”

“That’s exactly what I thought. Thanks, Nath.”

“But wait! There’s more to it than that, Maggie. Collin and Valerie were in an accident less than a year ago.”

“What kind of accident?” 

“A fire. Valerie got out with minor burns on her back, but Collin was severely burned on his face and arms. He’s only recently gotten out of the hospital. Less than 2 weeks.” 

“That might explain some things… Thanks again, Nathan.” She smiled at her phone.

“No problem, Maggie. But hey, be careful. You don’t know what these people could be packing. If things look worse than you think they are, call me again and I’ll dispatch some people to the address. You need to keep your eyes peeled.” She could hear the concern in his voice, and it made her heart flutter.

They exchanged a few more phrases, before hanging up. What she needed to do was get back to Tom and Louis, her car, and most importantly, her laptop.   
Less than 5 minutes later, she was in the club Tom and Max had been scouring, looking for Tom and Louis. She found them, Louis half in Tom’s lap their noses touching. She shook her head at the sight, knowing she might have laughed if the situation were different. She started pulling Louis off of Tom.

“Hey!” Both boys started to make indignant noises.

“Lou, Tom, now is not the time for snogging. Max’s been kidnapped and I am not letting either of you drive tipsy.” She didn’t leave room for a response, dragging Louis with her, and giving Tom no option other than to follow. 

Lou and Tom climbed into the backseat of her car, and Maggie pulled her laptop out of her secret spot. She pulled up a map of how to get to the address Nathan gave her. She watched as it popped up on her screen, realizing she’d never deleted the different bars addresses. She saw the red dot pop up in the center of the four bars.   
“Well frick… I’m an idiot.” 

“Lou...” Maggie turned around to find Louis back in Tom’s lap, cuddling together. 

As much as she would love to leave the happy couple somewhere, she just didn’t have time. Who knew what was happening to Max as they spoke? Maybe they could be of some use to her, even if just as back up.


	7. Chapter 6: You're Not Alone

Max woke up with his arms tied above him, a strip of duct tape across his mouth. And he wasn’t alone. Another boy with a shaved head was to his right, and two curly haired chaps were across the room from them, all in a similar position to Max. The one directly across from him he recognized as Harry. That meant shaved head would be Liam, and the other curls would be Jay. None of them appeared awake.

Max took this opportunity to look the boys over. Jay looked to have a gash on his cheek, as well as a cut on his hairline and a healing bruise over his brow. From what he could see of Liam, he had a gash over his brow as well, and Max took it to mean that that was where they were struck first. He saw that Harry too had one. None of them looked to horrible, and he could see the gentle rise and fall of their chests, so at least they were alive. 

But where were they? And how was Max gonna get out of this mess? He didn’t have long to think about it when he heard a door creak open and two figures appeared. Valerie and a man with hair as dark as hers, and a face that may have once been handsome, but was now burned horribly. They made their way down the stairs.   
“Aw, looks like Maxie woke up.” Valerie sneered at him. 

“Indeed Valerie.” The man made his way over, and gave Max’s face a quick smack to which he made an indignant noise. “Aw, I don’t think he likes me, Val.”

“It’s a pity, really.” She walked over to him and ripped the tape off of his lips. “I don’t think he likes me either.”

“OW!” Max’s yelp was enough to wake the other three boys, each of which looked up dazedly. 

“Oh, look Maxie. You woke the other boys. Guess it’s time to tell you the plan then.” Valerie smirked again, and the guy grinned back at her. “Well boy’s, it’s your final night. You’re gonna pay for what you did to us.”

“What? I’ve never seen either of you before tonight!” Max exclaimed, feeling panic build. This was moving faster than he expected. 

Moving quickly, the man was at Max’s side again, a hard slap slamming into his face. Max yelped again, trying to move his wounded cheek away.

“Don’t lie to me.” The man growled at him. 

“I’m not lying!” Max was the indignant type and another slap met his face but he refused to let it deter him. “I have never seen either of you before tonight. You’re insane.”  
The man growled again, pulling out a roll of duct tape. “I was trying to be reasonable, but you just don’t make that easy, do you?” Max felt the tape press against his lips.

“As I was saying,” Valerie continued, letting her claw like nails trail over Harry’s face, “It’s time for you four to pay. If YOU hadn’t been playing with fire…” The doorbell rang from upstairs, and Valerie rolled her eyes. “Then Collin wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Because of you four…” It rang again. “God dammit!” 

She stomped up the stairs, leaving the man, Collin, alone with the four boys. He grinned wickedly, pulling out a pocket knife. Max felt a lump form in his throat, and started wishing he’d been able to say goodbye to Zayn and Maggie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is moving a bit too quickly for Max... And who blames him? Not I, shouted the weird writer from behind her thick lensed glasses.


	8. Chapter 7: Not so Brilliant Plan

“I’m sorry to be ringing at such a late hour, but do you think I could use your phone? My car broke down and my phone is dead.”   
Valerie wasn’t very impressed by the man with the feathery hair, or his all too innocent blue eyes.   
“Fine. But make it quick.”  
Louis made his way carefully into the house, following the woman into the house; mentally reciting the number Maggie gave him for some detective at the police department. Tom was in the car as the emergency getaway driver, while Maggie took the opportunity to sneak around the house. The house had no neighbors within at least a mile of the place, and Maggie wasn’t sure how that made her feel.   
She was looking for an entrance, preferably one that was unlocked, so she might be able to sneak in. She could see a window that looked into the basement, and gingerly, she peeked in, immediately wishing she hadn’t. The window had the perfect view of all four boys, and one of their tormentors, who currently held a knife to Max’s throat. She needed to get rid of Collin.   
She crept back from the window, and whistled twice. That was the sign she’d given to Tom and Louis as a signal that she’d found something. Then she snuck around back, and hurled a rock at their back door and dove back around the side of the house, peeking into the window again. She watched as the man appeared to shout something, before standing, letting his knife softly slide across Max’s cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood, before tucking it in his pocket. He made his way up the stairs, and Maggie knew this was her only chance. She tugged on the window, thanking her lucky stars that it slid open, and dropped to the ground.   
All of the guys turned to stare wide eyed at her, but Maggie ignored it, first ripping off Max’s gag, then pulling her own pocket knife from her boot, and started sawing at his ropes. Maggie cursed at her dulled blade, trying to saw faster, when she heard the footsteps on the stairs.   
“Well, well, well… A second trespasser. Put the knife down, sweetheart.”   
Maggie turned around and saw that Collin had the knife to Louis’ throat, while Valerie smirked mercilessly. Slowly, she lowered her knife, but didn’t drop it, eyeing them wearily. Valerie held out her hand for the blade, and Maggie begrudgingly handed it to her, avoiding the disappointed looks of the tied men around her.  
“Well, Val, looks like we have a few more.” Collin remarked, as his sister grabbed a coil of ropes, and began winding them around Maggie’s hands, then Louis’.   
Louis looked at her apologetically. “She was listening in, and figured out that I was calling the police and not a tow truck. She took the phone from me.”  
Collin began pouring liquid from a gas can onto everything. Valerie looked on in amusement.  
“Well, I’d like to say it was nice knowing you all, but it really wasn’t.”   
“Yeah, well I can say the same about you.” Max snorted at her, and she glared.   
“Laugh now, Max, because in a few minutes, you’ll be trapped in a burning house with no way out.”  
Collin finished off the liquid, following his sister up the stairs. At the top, Valerie turned around, tossing a lit match onto the floor, and the room combusted instantaneously. Maggie could hear their laughter as they disappeared out and into the night, leaving them all to die.   
“Louis, quick, untie my hands.”   
He did as told, and soon, both of them were free of their ropes. Maggie started back on Max’s ropes, as he urged her to hurry, as smoke continued to fill the room. Louis was untying Harry. Maggie undid Max’s last knot, moving onto Jay, as he went to Liam.   
Soon, they were all free, but the smoke was getting overwhelming.   
“How do we get out of this?” Liam shouted at them.   
Maggie scanned the room, grinning when she spotted the open window. “Window!”  
Jay, being the tallest, and Max, being the strongest, tried boosting them up, but the window was too high up.   
“We’re gonna die.” Harry sounded defeated.   
A hand appeared through the window, then a face, and they saw Tom. “Not on my watch.”   
“Tom!” The one word flew off of Louis’ tongue before he could even think about it, but the excitement was impossible to hide.   
Max and Jay boosted them each up, Tom grabbing them and pulling them through. Maggie went last, letting Max and Jay push her into the air, and Tom yanked on her wrist, pulling her through the window. Harry and Liam were huddled together in the grass, and Maggie noted that the fire department hadn’t arrived yet. She turned back and watched as Tom pulled Max through, then Jay.   
“Where’s the fire department?” Max coughed, collapsing onto the grass.   
“I don’t know… This place is pretty deserted. No neighbors anywhere near here. Tom, is my car still…?”   
“I hid it in the bushes.”  
It was a tight squeeze, but somehow, they managed to fit Maggie, Max, Tom, Louis, Jay, Liam, and Harry into the car. Maggie insisted on driving, while Max and Jay shared shotgun. In the back, sat Harry and Liam, and then Louis was in Tom’s lap. It was cramped, but no one complained as Maggie shot down the road.   
No one did have a phone on them, Maggie, Max, Louis, Harry, Jay, and Liam all had theirs taken from them by Valerie and Tom had managed to leave his at the bar. So Maggie considered this an emergency, and blatantly ignored the speed limit signs as she sped past. Maggie had one goal in mind, and that was to get to the police station, and hopefully get ahold of Nathan. It was a half hour drive, but Maggie managed it in 15, and soon everyone was piling out of the car and into the police station. They were an odd looking group for sure, especially as late as it was, and everyone in the station looked up at them warily. Max and Maggie strode forward.   
“We’d like to speak with Det. Nathan Sykes please.”   
The woman behind the desk, Jayne, as her nameplate read, raised a brow at them. “You just missed him. Sorry. Would you me to take a message?”  
The Private Eyes exchanged glances, before Max spoke. “…No. But Jay, Harry, and Liam do need to talk with you.”  
The three men looked at him with surprise, but they ignored it while Maggie gave instructions to Louis and Tom. “You two stay here and watch out for them. Max and I have some unfinished business.”  
The detectives left at that, ignoring the woman as she called for them to stop and communicate the issue. Instead, they got into their car, heading back to their apartment to check for the message they were sure would be waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh geez... Nath, what have you gotten yourself into? Who knows... So what do you guys think? I know it's odd, but it's fun to write, so...


	9. Chapter 8: Tooth and Nail

“You are Max George and Maggie Carter, Private Detectives. Funny how much you can find from someone being held at knifepoint. That and the internet. So it seems you’ve escaped the fire. A shame, really, this could all be over. But now you’ve gone and had to drag your good friend Nathan into it. Wanna get him back? Bring the boys, all of them, to the old fishing docks on the outskirts of town by midnight. We’ll be waiting.” 

“We aren’t taking the boys anywhere.” Maggie shook her head. 

“No, we aren’t. Plus, they’re still being checked out by the police. They’ll be at the station for a while. And it’s 11:15 now. But tell me, Maggie. How did they get to Nathan?” Max looked at her. 

“That would probably be my fault. I had Louis be a diversion by knocking on the door, pretending to need to call a tow truck, but in reality I gave him Nath’s number to get us help. She got Louis while he was still on the phone…” Maggie looked down, wracked with guilt and worry.

Max nodded, before starting to rummage through some of their stuff. “He’ll be alright, Maggie. Now, do you know where the old prepaid phone is?”

"In the kitchen, left of the fridge in the drawer. Why?"

“Well we can’t go completely unprepared. Might wanna grab your spare pocket knife.”

Maggie nodded, guessing what Max was thinking, and went to grab her knife and the car keys. Max was waiting by the front door, and they made their way out to the car in silence. Maggie wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out, but she knew they had to get Nathan back, and it had to be them. So she drove.

They reached the docks by 11:45, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Maggie parked a distance away so they could scout without being spotted. They exited the car, Maggie tucking her knife into her boot, watching Max try to inconspicuously slide a gun into his jacket. She tried to meet his eyes but he kept looking away. She knew he only brought out the gun when he thought things were gonna get ugly. 

Maggie immediately spotted the trio. She could see a figure in the water, Nathan, only being held up by a rope, while the other two stood over, Collin holding a large cement block tied to the end of the rope that held Nathan to the dock. She could feel a bit of anger welling up inside of her and she clenched her fists. It was her fault they even knew about Nathan. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked over at Max who was trying to give her a reassuring smile. 

“It isn’t your fault, Maggie. And we’ll get him back. No matter what. Now it seems we’ve got to go make fools of the enemy.” With that, the pair moved forward, heading toward the docks, with solemn looks on their face. 

Nathan was not pleased to see them, if the angry splashing said anything. There was tape on his lips, otherwise, they were sure he’d tell them to go home and let him handle it. Valerie and Collin, on the other hand, looked quite bemused. 

“Oh, so you did come. But without the boys, I see. It’s really too bad. Why would you ignore those instructions if you wanted your friend back?” Valerie feigned curiosity. 

“Don’t worry, the boys send their best regards that you make it to hell safely.” Max smiled back. 

Valerie’s face darkened. “I’d watch my tongue if I were you. Unless you want Nathan to meet a watery grave.”

Magie stepped forward. “Why are you doing this? Why don’t you leave Nathan out of it? You have Max and I. We’re the ones who got in the way of your plans.” 

Valerie cackled. “Because your bald friend set our house on fire. Him and the other bald one held us down as the curly headed freaks poured the gas… But we didn’t die! Instead we wanted revenge! And this is it!” 

Without another word, Collin dropped the cement block off of the dock, and Nathan began to sink. 

“Oh my fricking God, you’re bloody delusional!” Max lunged at Collin, and the two began fighting on the edge of the dock. 

Maggie needed to get into the water and save Nathan, but Valerie stood between her and the water and looked like she had no intention of moving. So Maggie did the first thing she thought of, and that was to tackle her. They landed on the ground with a thud, and Maggie hopped to her feet while the other girl was trying to catch her breath, and leaped like a loon off of the dock and into the cold water. 

The sudden chill that hit Maggie was shocking, and she nearly let all of her air go, but she held on. She opened her eyes, cursing the dark waters, and started diving, using her hands to guide her. She felt her hand brush past something, and with great relief, she realized it was Nathan. Her eyes had adjusted enough to make out his shape and she made her way over. Her relief dissipated quickly when she noted that the rope, with the cement block, were hooked on something, making it impossible for Nathan to escape without cutting the rope. She tried to pull at the rope, praying it would give, as she felt her lungs start to hurt. 

She quickly swam to the surface, gathering air in her lungs before diving again. On the way down, she remembered her knife, and felt like smacking herself for being such an idiot. She pulled the weapon from her boot, and began sawing at the rope. Nathan had stopped struggling, his eyes shut, and it made her nervous. She started sawing faster. 

Finally, the rope snapped, and she watched as the cement sank further, and the ropes come loose from Nathan’s limp body. She pulled him close, dragging him to the surface. Once they broke through, she nearly threw him to shore, ripping the tape off his face. She readied to perform CPR when she felt someone yank her back by her hair.

“You bitch!” It was a very pissed Valerie. 

Maggie definitely didn’t have time to deal with this and from the way he and Collin still wrestled on the docks, Max didn’t either. So Maggie improvised. Her head slammed against Valerie’s, and then her elbow connected with her stomach and she fell to the ground. 

“Sorry, not sorry.” Maggie muttered, before turning back to Nathan who was turning blue. Maggie began chest compressions, and then mouth to mouth. “C’mon, Nathan, you’ve gotta live! Where would Max and I be without you…” Desperately, she began pounding on his chest. 

Suddenly, he started to cough, and Maggie rolled him onto his side, never having felt so relieved in her life. Nathan continued coughing, and then began vomiting water, and Maggie slapped his back a couple of times. After a minute, he stopped and looked at her gratefully. 

“Maggie, I have never been so glad to see a person in my life.”

Instead of replying, she pulled him into a hug. “You’re all wet.” She murmured into his ear.

“So are you.” 

A yelping noise broke them apart. They turned to watch as Collin brought a knife down onto Max’s thigh. Blood sprang from the wound. Maggie was on her feet, sprinting toward the scene before she could even register what had happened, and she was going to leap at Collin, when something collided with her. Valerie had gotten back to her feet, and now stood looming over Maggie, her eyes dark and murderous. 

“Not so quick, bitch.”

“You quite like calling me that, you know? Let’s get a little more creative with our insults.” 

Valerie snarled at Maggie, lashing out with her claw like fingernails. Maggie managed to side step it for the most part, her cheek getting scraped a little bit, and let out a hiss of pain. 

“Okay, that works too. Claws. Right. Would your claws like to meet a tragic end with my knife?” Maggie pulled the blade out, and the two began to tussle. 

Nathan took the opportunity to make his way over to Max, who needed his help more than Maggie did. Blood oozed from Max’s leg, and he had a pained expression as he tried to toss the other man off of him. Nathan came from behind, and surprise attacked Collin, leaping onto his back and pulling to the side. They fell in a heap to the side, giving Max enough time to get his bearings, but Collin quickly turned the knife on Nathan, capturing him, and holding it to his neck.

Max quickly drew the gun. There was no way he was gonna let him hurt Nathan, or anyone else. 

“So it seems we’re at an impasse, eh? You seem to have a gun pointed at my heart, and I seem to have a knife to the throat of your friend.”

Max let out a growl, but didn’t respond. Maggie was better at negotiation but she was a bit busy fighting with Valerie. 

“What’s that, Max? Cat got your tongue?”

“Leave Nathan out of this. This is between you and me.”

Collin smirked. “How sweet, Max. But I can’t do that. You see, Nathan provides a lovely barrier between me and your gun.”

Max snarled again. “What do you want from us?”

“Well I wanted revenge. But you stole that like you stole my life. When you set my house on fire.”

“You’re beyond deluded. I never set your damned house on fire. As far as I know, the other boys didn’t either. So stop it. Just let it all go. Let Nathan go.”

“LIAR!” Collin spat the word in Max’s direction, and the knife was waving wildly. “You LIAR! I SAW YOU! IT MUST HAVE BEEN YOU! VALERIE SAID IT WAS YOU!” 

Max saw his chance and took it. He dived towards Collin, knocking Nathan out of the way while the knife was still in the air. What he wasn’t prepared for was the gun to go off. He could feel blood, the ricochet of the bullet leaving the weapon and he watched as Collin recoiled as it collided with his chest. 

Everything was a blur from there. Maggie and Valerie were sprinting over, neither sure who had been shot; just knowing that they’d heard the gun go off. Valerie dropped to Collin’s side and howled in anguish, as Maggie went to check on Max and Nathan. The cops appeared shortly after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for more fun, kiddies.


End file.
